Thursday, March 16, 2017

Through
the mangrove restoration project in Amuay, led by AEPA FALCÓN, the
Small Grants Program of the Global Environment Facility Venezuela,
has sought to recognize the role of fisherwomen/.

For
the first time in Venezuela, seven fisher-women
from Paraguaná have
been
recognized by the Environmental Protection Association (AEPA Falcon),
a
non
governmental
environmental organization that is governed by the United Nations.

The event, called”Meeting
of Fisher
Women”,
is
aimed at enhancing the role of women in fishing, thus
breaking with the norms that artisanal fishing in Venezuela. The award recognizes that their production
and efforts are no longer solely
relegated
to men
and shows
thatfemales
are
now being seen within this ancestral practice
and play
a crucial
role in society.

The
meeting was attended by regional authorities, including the
Legislative
Council member Falcón (CLEF) Daicis López, Falcón Ombudsman Edisoi
Sandoval, Los Taques councilor
Ronny Falcón, the chronicler of Los Taques Jesus Muñoz Freites,
representatives of the Regional Comptroller, Ministry of Fisheries,
Unamujer and delegates of CONPPA Tío Pedro from the community of El
Supí.

During the event, the first fisherwoman of Amuay given special
recognition was Carmen Benita Sánchez, who on March 8 turns 100 years old, and
has established
an example of the
struggle
and work
fisherwomen have earned. Also honored were Juana Valbuena (86), Juana Sánchez (86), María Ramona Sánchez (78)
and Deisy Frontado (49) who each received
well-deserved awards as well.

Engineer
Henderson Colina,
a
general coordinator of AEPA Falcón, said that this recognition aligns with the goals of the group, and its differentiating factor in other communities was
the leading role of women in atisinal
fishing
and
the
community reflects this participation.

"We
are sure that this is only the first meeting to empower the women's
experiences with other communities from other latitudes.
We
are planning a
2018 exchange with institutions in Brazil, where women play an
important and even
more active
role than in Venezuela.
In fact, the change
in cultural attitudes towards female fishers
is in our country, because in other nations women are more organized and accepted for their roles.For
example,
in
Brazil there is the council of artisanal fishers within the Mangrove
Network, led by women,"
Henderson Colina said.

He
stressed that this activity is part of nambitious
project. "The Mangrove ecosystem source of food sovereignty for
the community of Amuay, (chosen
by the Small Grants Program of the United Nations system in 2015)
its first phase was based on the restoration of the mangrove, and
recovery
of the water system for its regeneration.This
recognition,
in the framework of achieving sustainable livelihoods is in line with
the United Nations Global Agenda for 2015-2030, which includes 17
sustainable development goals."